Schools and hearing impairment

In Leicester City the Hearing Support Team works with schools to ensure that your child fully accesses school life and that their hearing needs are met.

All hearing losses will be supported: from unilateral, mild, moderate, severe to profound and whether it is permanent or a long standing temporary loss.  Any communication methods that you have chosen for your child will be supported within school.  All schools should have high expectations of your child and help them to reach their full potential.

The areas that you can expect your child's school to support.

Pupil Participation

  • Schools will provide the opportunities for your child to talk about their hearing needs and strategies that will help them be part of the wider school life
  • School will raise deaf awareness within school and help the other children to develop an understanding of your child’s hearing loss to nurture positive friendships and social skills
  • The Hearing Support Team holds activity days for pupils throughout the year that schools support during school time. This helps your child to meet other hearing impaired children and develop their self-esteem, confidence and to gain a better understanding of their hearing loss

Parent Participation

  • You will be welcomed into school and staff will be available to talk to you about your child’s learning. Medical information will be kept confidential
  • Schools will encourage you to attend hearing appointments at the hospital and ask about the outcome of these meetings
  • Schools will encourage your engagement in review meetings and setting targets for your child

Whole school policies and procedures

  • School will be aware of their duty under the Equality Act 2010
  • Special Educational Needs and Disability training will be in place for Governors and teaching staff to ensure that they are up-to-date with Government legislation and initiatives
  • School staff will follow advice from external agencies
  • Schools can request advice on any modifications that can be made to benefit your child’s listening
  • The school will have a named person who will be responsible for managing your child’s audiological equipment through daily checks
  • Schools will raise deaf awareness throughout the whole school
  • Schools will be aware of voluntary, specialist organisations e.g. National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS)
  • All staff, either permanent or visiting, will ensure that your child is fully included in all aspects of school life
  • They support training for staff as recommended by the Hearing Support Team 

Curriculum

  • An adapted curriculum that meets your child’s academic and hearing needs
  • In addition to the National Curriculum schools and other professionals will support your child’s learning of their hearing impairment, ways of promoting effective communication and develop their social and emotional needs in order to be independent in their adult life
  • Offer a wide range of multi-sensory tasks and visual clues to support understanding of the curriculum and you child to reach their full potential
  • Ensure that sufficient time is allocated for any necessary pre-teaching, revision of skills, or completion of task
  • Support your child’s inclusion with extra-curricular activities such as after school clubs and activities

Interventions and resources

The Hearing Support Team will provide detailed information on your child’s hearing loss and its implications. The Hearing Support Team will visit your child in school to support their audiology, language development and advise school staff on how to enable them to access the curriculum.

Schools will put into place adaptations and strategies provided by a specialist teacher from the Hearing Support Team.  Below is a list of possible areas that may be included:

  • Use of your child’s audiological equipment and its limitations e.g. hearing aids, radio system
  • Keeping background noise to a minimum during listening activities in the classroom
  • An awareness that listening and concentrating may be tiring.
  • A quiet room for specific listening activities
  • What your child’s hearing loss is and how it affects them and their learning
  • Introduce new vocabulary using visual cues and practical activities to develop a better understanding of the curriculum
  • Staff to check your child understands by specific questioning
  • Staff to use normal voice when speaking and communicate as they would with hearing children
  • What special arrangements need to be in place for your child when sitting exams
  • How to best utilise additional support staff working directly with your child
  • Appropriate seating position in the classroom
  • Work with the Hearing Support Team to ensure that your child is included socially
  • Inform staff on the requirements for off-site visits
  • Specific exam considerations for your child